Expression
by Doctor Meowzie
Summary: [NejiSaku, GaaSaku, SasuSaku] AU Highschool. Now a singer, as she begins to bloom into her true self after giving up on Sasuke, she gets more attention. Not that she expected any. MAJOR HIATUS.
1. How Zenith Started

**A/N:** Hello guys! First fanfic I've made, since I'm new here. Though I'm familiar with the system here in I've been reading different fanfics for over a year now ! Hehe… so anyway, the number of chapters depend upon the number of reviews I get. I don't expect much from you dear readers… just reviews… and NO FLAMES. I need inspiration, not expiration… so anyway… that's about it. This fic is none-slash. I don't really like homosexual pairings. SORRY!

I don't know why I called this 'Expression'. All I know is that's what came to my head.

**DISCLAIMER:** I DON'T OWN NARUTO. I really wished as hell that I did, so that Sasuke and Sakura can be together.

**SUMMARY:** (NONYAOI, HIGHSCHOOL FIC)After a major rejection from Uchiha Sasuke, Sakura decided to give him up and form a band to release all her bad feelings. Will she encounter a new lovelife? (SasuSaku, GaaSaku, slight NejiSaku)

**DEDICATION:** To all Naruto ficwriters & fans, especially to you Filipinos out there! Musta na kayo dyan! Special mention to all Cebuanos… and my schoolmates who read my fics… and YOU!

* * *

**Expression **

**ProLoGue: How Zenith Started**

She can still remember it…

"_Sasuke-kun!"_

"…"

"_Ne, Sasuke-kun!"_

"…"

"_Sasuke-kun!"_

_Irritating…_

"_Wait up! Sasuke-kuuun!"_

_Extremely irritating…_

"_SASUKE - !"_

"_WHAT!"_

"…"

_Uchiha Sasuke sneered at her, "OK, now I'm talking to you, so what do you want from me!"_

_Haruno Sakura was taken aback. She didn't exactly know why she was shocked. She also didn't know why Sasuke should be so harsh to her either._

_Sasuke was glowering at her._

"…"

_Snort. "Well!"_

"…_Sa-Sasuke-kun…"_

"_You're one of those stupid so-called 'fan girls' of mine, right? Annoying bitches. Can't you at least see that I completely loath you all!"_

"_B-but…"_

_Sakura reached for his arm. It was bleeding. The Uchiha had a feud with the school's famous and feared bullies, including flying fists and kicks. It was bleeding so badly, Sakura couldn't understand why he'd leave it like that. He didn't care for his arm one bit._

_As he also didn't care for her one bit._

_When Sasuke noticed her reach for his bleeding forearm, he immediately jerked his hand away from hers._

"_Annoying. Just leave me alone!"_

"_Sasu – "_

"_LEAVE ME THE FREAKIN' HELL ALONE, BITCH! AM I UNFORTUNATE OR WHAT!"_

_Tears. Bitter tears prickled her eyesight as she watched him walk away._

_He told her that many times, more than you can count. But at this point, she couldn't take it anymore._

_There she stood… alone and broken…_

His harsh attitude had changed her completely. She used to love him. She used to admire everything about him. But now she didn't like him. She didn't _love_ him anymore. Instead, she hated him. Her mind was altered so abruptly that her friends easily noticed her change of heart.

Uchiha Sasuke. One of the school's resident heartthrobs. His dark eyes that can hypnotize foolish girls easily. His raven hair that makes him look annoyingly cool. That cold stare he would give everyone he sees. That made him stand out from all the hotties of the school.

So?

To Haruno Sakura, he's a complete asshole. Doesn't he know that girls have feelings? Doesn't he realize how deep his words hurt her? Doesn't he feel the warmth of all his friends and admirers? Most importantly… Does he know the meaning of camaraderie? Does he even have feelings?

Well, she thought it over and over again. It was clear to her now. Clear as daylight. Being the thinker she was, she isn't just another girl. And she isn't an Uchiha fan girl either. Being one of the top students in their batch when it comes to sports and academics, she knew better than to waste her time crying herself to sleep. Besides, she's also a hottie herself. She has caught the eyes of a number of boys in the campus. With her pink hair, celadon eyes, hourglass figure, normal height and smart brain? No one would miss that. A lot of adjectives can describe her, but you can immediately come to the conclusion that she's perfect.

Well, _almost_ perfect.

Because she's a _little_ boyish. That's not necessarily a flaw, now is it? She plays video games in the arcade. She wears somewhat baggy clothes. She plays the guitar and drums. She listens to rock music.

And speaking of rock music…

To get over what's left of her 'commitment' to Sasuke, she decided to start a band. A _rock_band. She got the idea from deep inside her noodle. She can compose a song, place the music and sing it out to the world, like sharing an unforgettable experience. She'd like to express her feelings, to spread the message to everybody indirectly, so they can know how she feels. Although no one needs to know that.

So she asked some of her closest friends to help her bring the band to life. Uzumaki Naruto immediately agreed. Sakura can trust him for full support, as she has known him as a friend for quite some time. He then became the drummer.

Hyuuga Neji was another one of her trustworthy friends. She knew very well that he could play the guitar and sing at the same time. It's nice to know that, really.

Gaara. He was a really mysterious individual. But ignoring that fact, she invited him to join the band-to-be. A few people knew he could play the bass guitar, including her. He was the best candidate for bassist and they were pretty much close friends.

Sakura decided to be the female vocalist and the guitarist at the same time. A vocalist would look cooler with a guitar, right? Then Neji is the male vocalist and the lead guitarist. Gaara the bassist, and Naruto the drummer. All four of them are some of the hottest and coolest personalities in the Fire Country High School. They'll be popular in no time.

Hmm… three guitarists… oh well, the more the guitars, the heavier the sound. Yeah, that's better. And the band name?

_Zenith._

**

* * *

**

**A/N: **Oh pooh, it's kinda lacking, right? Please have pity on me… I'm new… please REVIEW! NO FLAMES! PLEASE… Ahem, so… there's no keyboardist… Well, there are bands without keyboardists. I've got nothing else to say but THIS CHAPTER IS BORING. This is JUST the intoduction on how Zenith started. And on how Sakura gave up Sasuke… HEY! I'M A SASUSAKU FAN! AND I REALLY LOVE LOVE TRIANGLES!

Oh, and I also love pairings like GaaSaku, NejiSaku, NaruHina, ShikaIno, KibaHina… and whatever else I find great. To all SAKUSASU fans, don't worry! It's my favorite shipping, although it depends upon what you guys prefer when you review. If you like, I'll also include InoShikaTema, KibaHinaNaru and other triangles! Just ask me!

It is, unfortunately, in your hands whether I continue this or not.

PLEASE REVIEW! NO FLAMES!

Dr. Meowzie


	2. Nothing Special

**DISCLAIMER:** ? What? Is someone telling me I own Naruto? Why, thank you! I didn't know I've such a creative brain! I'm so honored! ((gets smacked out of existence)) HHHHHHHEEEEYYYYY! ((hides)) OK! OK! I DON'T OWN IT! SO?

**A/N: **'Eyyyy! Wow, I'm so happy a number of beautiful and handsome people liked this fic of mine. I sure hoped this chapter's longer than the prologue. Hey, I know the background of this story is common, so I'll try to think of a little twist In truth, I don't really have much idea right now, so you can give me ideas and opinions. To all reviewers, I LOVE YOU!

**THANX TO**:

**Xoni Newcomer** – Thank you so very much for the tips! I'll try to apply them for my ficwriting. Although I'm not sure if I can meet your expectations… but I'll still try. You've got a point on concentrating on the foursome, since they're my favorite. Well yeah you're right about the 'I suck' thingy… and to think I don't accept flames… except from myself… hehe… so anyway, THANK YOU!

**Bevy-chan **– I tell you, you gave me an idea for a part of this fic! You know, about the DJ-thingy. That's what you call a turntabulist, right? I've also considered them too. Some bands like Linkin Park and Incubus have DJs. Er… just give me a time to think about it. I've also considered Naruto for Sakura's love polygon (I'm not sure if it really is a polygon…). But I'm not sure if he'll be a part of it…

**Angelbornnhell** – Yeah this band stuff is definitely a cliché. The story will go far if my reviews reach a mile… hehe… just hope I'll always be inspired! I've got a lot of songs for the band, but if I have a hard time choosing I'll ask you to help me… thanx for the aid! I'll try to read your fic too… I'll find time…

**ang3Lix – **I'm so glad I'm able to make a fic without much errors… I'll read more books to improve my story writing… hey, I'm still 13, so don't expect much from me. But I'll try! Update your latest story asap, ok?

**Eien no kaze** – Gah! I see a NejiSaku fan! I also support that shipping, although I'm not sure if they'll hook up in the end. Depends on what majority of my reviewers like… anyway, IF they don't end up together, don't kill me! Thanks for reviewing! 

**blitzace312 **– Yay! A SasuSaku fan! I support them very much, but I also support other guys for Sakura… oh no… I'm confused! Hehe : )

**GaaraRules **– Oh no… don't tell me you support GaaSaku! ((faints)) Nah, I'm also a fan of that pairing… well, thanx for reviewing anyway!

**ang3l-blue **- you changed your pen name? hmm... anyway, thanx for reviewing! It's nice to know there's always a pinay out there who support the same shippings I love! Update your fics soon!

**piNkLaLa-o2 **- Yeah, I got the summary mixed up! Hey! A confused soul here trying to find the road of life! ((points to herself)) ME! Wahehe! I'm glad you liked this fic!

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Nothing Special**

Friday morning.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"…"

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"Ugh…"

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"Shut up…"

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"… Still sleepy…"

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"SHUT-"

Sakura heard her mother's voice from downstairs, "Sakura dear! Time to get up! You don't want to get a tardy this year, do you? Come on, breakfast's ready!"

Sakura opened her eyes and glanced at her pink bunny alarm clock. 6:30 AM.

_Mou… it's too early… why the hell did I make it 6:30!_ She thought to herself before slowly getting up from bed. Inner Sakura was shouting in her head: _**WAKE UP, SAKURA! RISE AND SHINE! **…Oh yeah, I spent the rest of the night studying for the mastery test… or summative test rather… damn alarm clock, you're too loud. One of these days I'll dismantle your machine parts and scalpel them out…_

She stretched her arms and yawned, walked to her door then down to the staircase for breakfast.

* * *

"SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto's voice was distinctly heard from the noisy crowd in the corridors. Sakura spotted Naruto, who was beckoning her to go to him, then approached him. She then asked, "Ne, Naruto, did you study for the test in Chemistry today?" 

"Hehe… just a little… yeah. I fell asleep in the middle of studying last night!" he replied grinning. Typical of Naruto not to take academics seriously. Sakura wished she could just be like him. But she can't; her parents expect much from her. They told her things like she can't get a decent job without decent grades and whatsoever. She let out a tired sigh.

She and Naruto are classmates now in their 3rd year. They have been close friends long enough for the two to remember, shared their childhood lives and know each other very well. Their closeness was suspected by many as more than friendship, but really, they're just the best of friends.

On the way to their classroom, they came across their other classmate, Hyuuga Hinata, Neji's cousin. Hinata had short dark hair and strange white eyes. She's an extremely shy girl. She too is pretty smart, but lacks confidence. Almost all her friends know she's got a really HUGE crush on Uzumaki Naruto, well, except Naruto himself. He's still oblivious.

"Hinata-chan!" bellowed Naruto and Sakura in unison.

Hinata spotted them, glanced at Naruto and instantly blushed.

"G-Good M-Morning, Sakura-chan… N-Naruto-k-kun…"

"Come on now Hinata-chan! Get out of that shell of yours! Come on, let's go to the room together!" said Sakura happily as she placed both her arms around Hinata and Naruto's necks.

The threesome then walked together.

* * *

Sir Hatake Kakashi, in his usual school professor's attire, which is never without a weird-looking navy blue mask that coves a part of his face, cleared his throat and said, "OK… you have one hour to answer the test. I've set enough time, so I expect fewer blanks on your answer sheets. One hour… starts now." 

He plopped down his seat behind the teacher's desk and pulled out his precious book: Icha Icha Paradise. Lookie here, it's already the8thtome!

Sakura stared at her test questionnaire, then averted her gaze to her answer sheet. _Hmm… not too difficult_... She thought to herself_. 50 items… yosh! I can possibly do this in 20 minutes. _She then began, her pen darting from top to bottom at top speed. Their teacher did give them enough time, which includes reviewing and going back to a few items.

Sure enough, Sakura finished 40 minutes before time, so she took her time to review her answers. She glanced at Naruto's back (A/N: Er… how do I put this… Sakura sits somewhere at the 5th row near a window, while Naruto's in the 3rd row) and noticed he kept scratching the back of his head. Well, that seems to be Naruto's mannerism when he thinks deeply. Sakura smiled at Naruto's childish act.

35 minutes…

29 minutes…

Yaaaaaawn… 

22 minutes…

18 minutes…

Yaaaaaawn… 

Now 15 minutes before the hour is up, Sakura was watching the blue sky, bored. Several other students of the class were done, and were in their own worlds too. All of them wore bored expressions. Naruto's head was moving up and down; clearly, he's sleepy. Hinata had her head in on her hand and was looking at nothing in particular. The pink-haired pupil was in her little world, too. As Inner Sakura.

_Hmm… I wonder what we can do this weekend… The manager of Konoha Supermall asked us if we could perform in the Food Square. Oh well, I'll discuss it with Naruto, Neji-san and Gaara-san later…_ She stiffled a yawn. Neji and Gaara were classmates in another section of their year. The Untalkative Ones. Well, strange enough, a raven-haired guy with dark eyes entered her trail of thoughts. She frowned and shrugged it off her mind. _Humph… untalkative… yeah right…_

"OK! Time is UP!"

Sakura, as well as the others, snapped back to reality abruptly. The others were grunting.

Kakashi looked around, "Hmm… I do hope all of you finished every item. Test papers forward now…" Heh, even their Chemistry teacher seemed to have an I-am-extremely-bored expression written across his face.

Sakura then heard someone calling her in a whisper. She looked around to see Naruto throw a small piece of paper in her direction. She quickly caught it, then opened the paper to read Naruto's message.

Sakura-chan, meeting later at dismissal. Don't forget! p NaRuTo 

She gazed at him. He was looking at her and grinning. She returned the grin and mouthed, "OK."

* * *

"GAARAAAAA! NEJIIIIIIIII!" 

SMACK!

"NARUTO! Pipe down a bit, OK?"

"Ouchie… Hai, Sakura-chan… my poor cranium…"

"Hehe… If you don't learn how to control your volume, I'll make sure your cranium isn't the only thing of yours that's poor!"

"Waaahhhh… Sakura-chan's threatening me… taskete…"

Neji turned around to see Naruto, who was tending a fresh lump on his head, and Sakura, who was giving him a sermon. They're walking towards him and Gaara, who were sitting under a VERY tall, at the same time VERY old, cherry blossom tree – their usual meeting place.

"Ne, Gaara! Neji! Sakura-chan's threatening meeeee! AGAIN!"

"NARUTO!"

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

"NARUTO!"

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

"NARUTO!"

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

"NARUTO!"

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

"NARUTO!"

"SAKU – what?"

"Naruto! There's a bug on your head! It's really big! BIG AND BLACK!"

"WHAT!"

Naruto hastily ruffled his hair in hopes of exterminating The Bug On His Head off his blonde hair. There WAS a bug, and it landed on the ground.

"Whoa, it IS big! Sakura-chan, I've never seen a bug so BIG In my entire juvenile life!"

"Naruto, calm down now. It's just a bug. Don't kill it, or else a certain Aburame would kill you."

Well yeah, the infamous Aburames were known to take much interest in entomology. The members of the past generation of the clan were mostly entomologists. They're just devoted, that's all. But don't worry, a human being and a bug were never married. Their unusual, not to mention infertile, offspring would be the unluckiest hybrid to walk on earth if that ever happened.

Neji sighed.

Gaara blinked.

Sakura sat down under the tree, as well as Naruto, then cleared her throat, "Anyway, enough of the bug stuff… so… what're the plans for tomorrow?"

Neji spoke, "We accepted the invitation from the mall's General Manager to perform as a band. We're getting paid, so there's no reason for us to reject the offer."

Sakura's face was somewhat contorted, as if concentrating or thinking on something, then said, "When's our schedule? I can't go in the morning, my mother's giving me a hella lot of errands."

"I can't go in the afternoon, since I'll have my special lessons in Brazilian Jiu Jutsu," said Naruto.

Gaara spoke up, "Nighttime, then."

"Yeah… besides, it's cool during the night. Oh! I remember! Tomorrow night's a full moon!" Sakura squealed excitedly.

Naruto's azure eyes were sparkling, "REALLY? So that means… we'll perform under a full moon? Or… when we're not performing, the four of us can watch the moon together!"

Sakura smiled. _That's gonna be memorable…_

"I think it's best that we perform around 7 PM, then we have the rest of the night to view the full moon," Neji suggested.

"YEAH! GOOD POINT, NEJI! YAY, SAKURA-CHAN! I'LL BRING A VIDEO CAM! THIS IS GONNA BE REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY COOL!" bellowed Naruto. He stood up and did a weird dance he invented and called 'The Fox Dance', but got to his bottom immediately when Sakura hit the top of his head.

"Ow, Sakura-chan! I'm really poor now! My poor head!"

"You know better than to do that Fox Dance of yours while yelling at the top of your voice! Bleah!" She stuck out her tongue playfully at him. Naruto pouted.

Neji watched the two with amusement, and he swore Gaara smirked for a split second.

Sakura suddenly stopped and froze. Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Sakura-chan?"

Silence.

Then she blinked and snapped her fingers. "OH YEAH! I REMEMBER! I think it's better if we meet at 4 PM so we can practice some songs! Just to make sure we avoid stage dilemmas!"

Naruto blinked. "OK, but where'll we rehearse?"

Sakura sighed, "NOT at our house. My other relatives are in town and are staying over at our place."

Naruto's shoulders dropped, "Not at ours either. My brother doesn't accept visitors on a Saturday. I dunno why."

Neji sighed then spoke up.

"At our place, then."

"Yeah! The Hyuuga Manor! That's good!" exclaimed Naruto.

Sakura asked, "All members of the past three generations of your clan live there, right?"

Neji nodded. "Don't worry, they won't mind."

Sakura grinned, "YOSH! It's settled then!"

It was Gaara's turn to ask Neji, "How about the instruments?"

"We can use those at the Main Household."

Naruto, unbelievably, was thinking. THINKING! Amazing! History in the making!

"Main Household? So, we'll ask Hinata-chan to let us borrow them?"

Neji nodded.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at Naruto, "Is it just me, or did I see Naruto make some sense from thinking!"

Naruto pouted again, "I DO have a brain, Sakura-chan; it's only in danger of falling off from your constant whacking of my head!"

"WOW! YOU CAN BE WITTY AT TIMES NARUTO! WOOHOO! MY BEST FRIEND DID A GOOD JOB!"

"SAKURA-CHAN! YOU'RE NOT MAKING ANY SENSE NOW!"

"YOU MAKE ME PROUD NARUTO!"

All the while, Inner Sakura was saying, _Naruto did think of Hinata… Maybe she's got a chance… hehe…_

They spent the rest of the afternoon talking about random things under the sakura tree.

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** Well that's it for Chapter 1. I'm sorry if there hadn't been hints of romance. I'm not in a hurry… Thankfully, no one's tailing me to get me killed. I'm safe… Oh, and about some points for this chappy… hmm… Er – Sakura and Naruto are best friends in the story line. They're so close, even Hinata sometimes gets jealous of Sakura. Although Sakura's still planning to set Naruto and Hinata up… I think. I'm sorry for all you NaruSaku fans out there! Don't get me murdered! I've died a lot of times and resurrected already, so no point in doing that… All the stuff I typed are what came to my head, so I'm not sure about a few details…

Speaking of details, I didn't mention anything about how their school uniform looked like! Man, my mind's mixed up! Anyway…

I'd like to ask if the spelling of Jiu Jutsu is correct. Is it Jui, or Jiu? -X.x- ((ChanGe tHe ToPiC)) About Naruto's character, I'm not trying to portray he's dumb, it's just the way Sakura treats Naruto as his best friend. But really, Naruto thinks once in a while. He's just used to yelling and shouting. Empty cans are noisy, they say, but Naruto's brain isn't necessarily empty. OK? ((ChanGe tHe ToPiC)) About the band's meeting place, I know it's a cliché too. I thought of other places, but the sakura tree is the only thing that fits the role, as it means something to our lead, Sakura. ((ChanGe tHe ToPiC)) About the Chemistry test wherein 'she then began, her pen darting from top to bottom at top speed', they're on a Japanese setting, and I think they write their characters from top to bottom, right to left. I'm not really sure, so please do tell me if it's inaccurate.

PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW IF YOU LIKE! NO FLAMES ALLOWED!

IDEAS ARE WELCOMED WITH OPEN ARMS!

YOU CAN ASK QUERIES! I'LL TRY TO THINK ABOUT THEM!

REVIEWERS WHO CARE AND ARE COMPASSIONATE ARE LOVED BY FICWRITERS!

Dr. Meowzie


	3. Rehearsal At The Hyuuga Manor

**DISCLAIMER:** All hardcore Naruto fans of the world have witnessed the creative mind of Sir **Kishimoto**. I wish he'd lend me a part of his artistic cerebrum… ((sigh)) By then I can be a very proud part owner of Naruto. The thing is, I doubt that's possible… Oh, AND ANOTHER ONE! I don't own the song 'Forgotten', **Avril** does, from 'Under My Skin'. **Green Day** owns 'Are We The Waiting' from their album 'American Idiot'. I'm just a poor little innocent 13-year-old ficwriter.

**A/N:** I'M STILL ALIVE! MWAHAHAHAHAHA! ((**SMACK!**)) Aww! Who threw a … er- tomato… at me? ((looks around with a glare and spots a reader)) OH, HELLO! Good day! Here's the next chappy! Thank you very much for your lovely reviews! Even though a review doesn't reach 5 words, my Inspiration Percentage still goes up! Well, IF the review is encouraging… Keep on reviewing, and give me some ideas, please! I'm INSPIRED! ((holds up a sign saying '**INSPIRED LUNATIC ON THE LOOSE, coming soon in theatres near you**')) OKEH!

**SHOUT-OUTS TO THE FOLLOWING SOULS THAT WERE SENT FROM HEAVEN BY GOD TO INSPIRE EXPIRED PEOPLE LIKE ME AND SAVE MY ARSE BEFORE BEDTIME:**

**Dagorwen of Ithilien, piNkLaLa-o2, ang3l-blue, GaaraRules, blitzace312, Eien no kaze, ang3Lix, emir, Angelbornnhell, Bevy-chan, Xoni Newcomer**

So here it is!

**

* * *

**

Chapter 2

**Rehearsal at the Hyuuga Manor**

Sakura ran as fast as she could towards the Hyuuga manor. She had just awoken from her nap when her pink clock displayed 4:07, so she had quickly changed into an ocean blue shirt with a matching denim jacket. She wore loose khaki pants with a lot of pockets and white rubber shoes (A/N: Heck, that's way too OOC for Sakura! Hehe…). She finished off by tying her pink hair in a single ponytail. Afterwards, she dashed away at top speed.

**_DAMN!_** Inner Sakura was cursing, **_I'm sure the alarm clock is sick! Afternoon naps SUCK!_** Sakura turned around a corner on her heel. _4:12! And to think **I** was the one who suggested we rehearse before the show! Argh! I hope they won't kill me for being late!_ It's a miracle she wasn't able to bump on someone or stumble upon something while listening to an Inner Self ranting endlessly in her mind.

Zenith had been performing for over a year now, and their usual rehearsing place is the Uzumaki residence. This time, it's the Hyuuga Manor. Mind you, that place is HUGE, due to the fact that all the members of the clan live there, and that the very same family owned a part of Konoha. Whoa, talk about power. Even though it's her first time visiting Neji's place, she was sure she wouldn't get lost in finding it, since a lot of people in the village knew where the manor is, and its exceptionally large size makes it very conspicuous.

Sure enough, she found tall golden gates with a huge letter 'H' engraved in the middle. Sakura abruptly halted running and was panting heavily, her hands on her knees. She was now in front of the huge manor's gold front gate. As she was trying to calm herself down, someone spoke up from somewhere, which scared the living daylights out of her… a little.

"Glad you could make it."

"Gah!" Sakura exclaimed. She turned around and saw Gaara, his arms folded. He was smirking. Sakura, on the other hand, looked flushed.

"G-GAARA-SAN! Y-You scared the living hell out of me! Er – sorry…" she scratched her head apologetically, "Hehe… umm… are they…?"

Gaara nodded, "Neji and Naruto are waiting. Come on."

"OK!" Sakura said smiling as she walked side-by-side with Gaara towards the doors of the Manor. For some reason, Gaara was still smirking at Sakura's childish behavior. Too bad Sakura didn't notice it.

* * *

"Hmm… nope," stated Sakura as she was tuning a black electric guitar she borrowed. Her eyebrows were furrowed. She plucked the strings each a lot of times while listening to it before the practice to check the tunes. The four were in the Recording Room, although they aren't recording. They chose it since not much noise can be heard from the outside while you're inside. 

Neji was also tuning his guitar, a dark blue one, for the 4th time. Gaara was playing the bass guitar to make sure his fingers were in the right condition to play. Naruto was tapping the drums. He then threw a drumstick, which did a somersault in midair, and caught it before it hits the floor.

After a few minutes, Sakura then stepped up near the microphone.

"OK guys! I think it's enough for the warm up! Let's rock!" Sakura exclaimed grinning. Gaara and Neji nodded while Naruto yelled, "O-KEH! Let Sakura-chan do the singing!"

Sakura smiled, "OK then; let's do 'Forgotten'."

Intro…

"_I'm giving' up on everything_

_Because you messed me up_

_Don't know how much you screwed it up_

_You never listened_

_That's just too bad_

"_Because I'm moving on_

_I won't forget you were the one that was wrong_

_I know I need to step up and be strong_

_Don't patronize me_

_Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah_

"_Have you forgotten_

_Everything that I wanted?_

_Do you forget it now?_

_You never got it_

_Do you get it now?_

_Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah_

"_Gotta get away_

_There's no point in thinking about yesterday_

_It's too late now_

_It won't ever be the same_

_We're so different now_

_Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah_

"_Have you forgotten_

_Everything that I wanted?_

_Do you forget it now?_

_You never got it_

_Do you get it now?_

_Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah_

_Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah_

"_I know I wanna run away_

_I know I wanna run away_

_Run away_

_If only I could run away_

_If only I could run away_

_Run away_

_I told you what I wanted_

_I told you what I wanted_

_What I wanted_

_But I was forgotten_

_I won't be forgotten_

_Never again_

"_Have you forgotten_

_Everything that I wanted?_

_Do you forget it now?_

_You never got it_

_Do you get it now?_

_Do you get it now?_

"_Have you forgotten_

_Everything that I wanted?_

_Do you forget it now?_

_You never got it_

_Do you get it now?_

_Do you get it now?_

"_Forgotten…_

_Forgotten…_

_Forgotten…_

_Forgotten…"_

Sakura ended the song with one last strum on her black guitar.

"Great, Sakura-chan!" Naruto happily exclaimed.

"Thanks, Naruto," said Sakura smiling at her best friend. She then turned to Neji, "Your turn, Neji-san."

Neji nodded and adjusted the microphone, "Alright. Let's do 'Are We The Waiting'."

Naruto, Gaara and Sakura nodded and began to do their own thing.

_"Starry nights city lights_

_Coming down over me_

_Skyscrapers and stargazers_

_In my head_

"_Are we we are, are we we are_

_The waiting unknown_

_This dirty town was burning down in my dreams_

_Lost and found city bound in my dreams_

"_And screaming_

_Are we we are_

_Are we we are the waiting_

_And screaming_

_Are we we are_

_Are we we are the waiting_

"_Forget me nots and second thoughts_

_Live in isolation_

_Heads or tails and fairytales_

_In my mind_

"_Are we we are, are we we are_

_The waiting unknown_

_The rage and love, the story of my life_

_The Jesus of suburbia is a lie_

"_And screaming_

_Are we we are_

_Are we we are the waiting_

_And screaming_

_Are we we are_

_Are we we are the waiting_

"_And screaming_

_Are we we are_

_Are we we are the waiting_

_And screaming_

_Are we we are_

_Are we we are the waiting_

"_Are we we are_

_Are we we are the waiting_

_Are we we are_

_Are we we are the waiting…"_

Then the song ended.

"That was great, Neji-san," Sakura told Neji with a smile on her face. Neji faced her and returned the smile with one of his rare ones.

Naruto stood up and stretched his arms, "Ne, I'm hungry! Neji, could we take a break and eat? My stomach is leading a revolt against me along with my liver, intestines, and pancreas…"

Sakura pouted, "Naruto, you're exaggerating."

"No, it's okay. Go ahead in the living room. Hinata-sama volunteered to attend to you," Neji told Naruto.

"Yay! Food! Food! I hope there's ramen! Yeepee! Food! Hahah! Wheeeeeeeee!"

The Fox Dance again.

WHACK!

A lump again.

"Naruto, if you don't behave, Hinata-chan won't give you any food! Suffer the revolt of your digestive organs by yourself!" Sakura lectured him.

Naruto tended his new lump, "Owie… OK, all right… Ne, Gaara! Help me beat Sakura-chan when it comes to boxing, will ya!"

"Hn" was his only reply.

Sakura sighed, "OK, I'll go ahead. I must help Hinata-chan instead of having war with Naruto. See you guys later." She then walked off to find Hinata.

Naruto was relieved, "I was granted salvation."

Gaara and Neji, however, smirked.

* * *

'I guess this is the living room,' Sakura looked around. There was a huge flat screen TV and a DVD player on a large rack. There were a lot of DVDs and VCDs along with it. The sofas were of a dark green shade. There was also a chandelier on the ceiling just above the sofa set. 'But no one's here… I guess Hinata-chan's in the kitchen.' She then went to find Hinata. 

Wow, the Hyuuga Manor was SO big and SO spacious.

So… where is the kitchen anyway?

* * *

Hinata looked at all the food on the kitchen table, "I-Isn't this t-too much?" 

A girl who had bangs and had her brown hair tied in two buns tried to assure Hinata, "Don't worry Hinata-chan! Naruto's got a spacious stomach. I bet he can eat a quarter of all these food we prepared."

Hinata blushed scarlet at the mention of Naruto's name.

A blonde with blue eyes spoke up, "Tenten, you should be cautious in mentioning _Naruto's_ name. Look at Hinata, she's tomato red." Then she giggled.

"Ino, you shouldn't only mention Naruto just to make Hinata do her best in cooking a lot of food. How about the other members of the band?" Tenten asked Ino with a grin.

"I think you should worry about the other three band members. Uzumaki Naruto might consume all the food. And Hinata will blush madly," another blonde spoke up.

"Temari!" Ino slightly shrieked, "I have a question. Is Naruto a mad-eater-on-the-loose so all of us are supposed to worry if there's still food left for the rest of us?"

Temari, the blonde with four pigtails, smirked, "I think so."

Tenten turned to Temari, "Even though your brother, Sakura-chan, Neji-san and Naruto are famous now, we should still treat them like old friends. We've known each other since our lower years."

Ino sighed, "Well, as long as I can remember, we were close to Sakura-chan and Naruto. Hyuuga Neji and Gaara don't open up easily."

Tenten bushed furiously at the mention of Neji's name.

Hinata giggled, "Tenten, relax."

Temari grinned, "The world knows how much Tenten likes Neji… except for Neji himself."

Tenten blushed bloody red.

Ino joined the teasing, "And how much Hinata-chan likes Naruto! Although the baka doesn't know that!"

Hinata blushed scarlet red (again).

Temari snorted, "Much more on the fact that Ino likes that human ice cube Uchiha Sasuke."

Ino blushed tomato red.

Tenten snapped, "We all know that our dear Temari-chan likes that lazy genius Nara Shikamaru."

Temari blushed crimson red.

They were all blushing. Silence occupied the whole kitchen while the four girls blushed different shades of red until they heard someone calling someone's name.

"Hinata-chan!"

Hinata blinked, "Huh?"

"Hinata-chan! Where're you!"

Hinata turned to face the kitchen door, "W-Wait… was that…?"

Ino nodded, "I think it is." She approached the door and slowly opened it, only to find a certain pink-haired girl standing on the other side of the door.

Ino jumped back, anime style. "S-Sakura-chan!"

Sakura was surprised, "Ino-chan?"

Hinata, Tenten and Temari were surprised as well. "SAKURA!" They bellowed in unison.

"Sakura looked around at the back of Ino, "Hinata-chan? Ten-chan? Temari-chan?"

They stood there looking at each other for a few minutes before Sakura spoke to Hinata.

"Ehe… umm… I've been looking for you for ages… anyway," she turned to the other three, "Why are you all here? I didn't expect Hinata-chan to invite the rest of you… sorry…"

Hinata smiled at her and said, "I-I'm sorry I h-haven't told y-you, S-Sakura-chan; I-I invited them to h-help me prepare the f-food… Y-You need to eat a g-good am-amount for t-tonight's p-performance…"

Sakura smiled too, "Aww… thanks… but I should've helped all of you in preparing the food…"

Tenten grinned, "Come on, Saku-chan! It's okay!"

Temari nodded, "Besides… we need help in bringing all these to the dining room." She pointed at all the delicious food on the table. Sakura was drooling.

"S-Sakura-chan?' Ino looked at Sakura. Before they even saw Sakura's drooling expression, she snapped back to reality and exclaimed, "OK! I'll help bring the food! Come on now people!"

The four girls sweat-dropped.

**

* * *

**

**A/N: **Hinata likes Naruto. Tenten likes Neji. Ino likes Sasuke. Temari likes Shikamaru. But they aren't the necessary pairings. I've decided on the side triangles: SakuNaruHina (not really), InoShikaTema, NaruHinaKiba and SakuNejiTen. Oh pooh, I'm twisting it.OK that's it.

Not much notes for you to read. Just wait for the next update.

PLEASE REVIEW! FLAMERS ARE BANNED FROM EXISTENCE IN MY WORLD!

**Dr. Meowzie**


	4. Food Before The Show

**DISCLAIMER:** I DON'T OWN NARUTO! OK, I SAID IT ALREADY SO FOR THOSE WHO ARE EVIL ENOUGH TO SUE ME AND THROW ME TO THE COURT JUST FOR THIS WILL END UP BEING FED TO THE SHARKS! INCLUDING YOU PERSISTENTLY ANNOYING LAWYERS! IF YOU DON'T KNOW, I'M TOTALLY BROKE SO DON'T EXPECT MUCH FROM ME! ((cough)) Nah, just joking. The disclaimer is as usual.

**A/N: **Yeahey! I've finally reached Chapter 3! Well yeah I started off with the prologue, so this is still Chapter 3. Still, I label this Chapter 4…. Hmm… Once again, I'd like to thank the heaven-sent ((wink wink)) reviewers of my story! THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Whew! It's summer here so I don't have much to do. I'm cherishing my summertime since I won't be free when the school year starts. Our schoolwork is such a pain from my bones to my muscles! You don't know how excited I was when the school year finally closed a month ago! Speaking of school, I may not be able to update this fic at a regular schedule when the new school year opens. I'm naturally a slow worker of fanfics, plus my oh-so-heavy load of homework… I'm gonna die at an early age… and I'm still gonna be a 3rd year high school student… waaahhh! ((sniff)) ARGH! Enough of that!

**PL****EASE WELCOME THE REVIEWERS! (drum rolls please!):**

**eMpErAtRiS** – Ei! Salamat talaga! Inspired na talaga ako dahil sa fic mo, so I decided to update… hindi ko iniisip na matandang matanda ka na but a memory gap is possible for juvenile souls… hehe! THANKS!

**DrkMooNGrl** – thank you so very much! Hey, I can't blame you cause I'm a GaaSaku fan too! Hehe… you could nominate someone else for Gaara-kun, but not an OC… Thanks for reviewing this piece of crap!

**Fay** – Umm… Gaara? How do I put this… just screw what I said, actually, I intend to include him in the SasuSakuNeji triangle, making it SasuSakuNejiGaa… A LOVE SQUARE! Hehe… Thanx for reviewing! But you could suggest someone lining up for Gaara… to make it more interesting… I think…

**Crystalgail** – Thank you so very really wholeheartedly much! Actually, our surname originated from Ilocos… but that history is so far away… about how many meters and miles… at least that's what my father told me. But I haven't got Ilocano blood… ((sigh)) OK, stop waiting… here's the next update!

**Dagorwen of Ithilien** –OK OK here's the next chappy! Gah! I hope I still live life to the fullest after this… hehe…

**ang3l-blue** – Hey, Gaara WILL be included… that can add to the torture of our dear Sakura-chan's lovelife. Wooohooo! I'm SO EVIL! MWAHAHA! ((SMACK!)) Ouch…! Anyway, I'm going to ask you readers on someone, preferably not an OC, who could be Gaara's 'admirer', but I'm still not sure… OK… Hey, days ago, I found your Friendster account… too bad it's already full… ((sigh)) Pero ako, tamad maghanap ng Friends sa Prinstirr… hehe…

**Bevy-chan** – AAAHHH! DON'T HUNT ME DOWN! I'M STILL IN THE EARLY YEAR OF MY TEENAGE LIFE AND NOW SOMEONE'S OUT TO HUNT ME FOR DINNER! ((blink)) Hmm… anyway, thanks for reviewing! You reviewed every chappy! I'm so happy! It means so much to MEEEE!

**Beggin XD** – I'm not really sure if it'd be GaaSaku in the end… depends upon what the majority like… I'll be holding the polls at a later part of this fic when I'm beginning to get confused… Thanx anyway!

**Fu5ionist** – You have no idea how long it took me to read that! Hehe… Thanks! You encouraged me! I'm glad the people here love it… the question is… who loves the ficwriter?

**silver dark rose – **Thanks for the encouragement!

ALSO A BIG THANK-YOU-FOR-BEING-SOME-OF-THE-EARLIEST-ONES-TO-REVIEW-THIS-LITTLE-FIC-OF-MINE FROM ME TO: **piNkLaLa-o2, GaaraRules, blitzace312, Eien no kaze, ang3Lix, emir, Angelbornnhell, Xoni Newcomer**

* * *

Here's –

**Chapter 3**

**Food Before The Show **

The girls have spent minutes fixing everything in the dining room.

"Whew! At least that's done!"

Ino wiped her temple with the back of her hand to wipe off the sweat that began to form. She looked over to Hinata, who was busy arranging the food, which they prepared earlier, in a presentable way. Tenten and Temari sat on the sofas across each other. They seem to be tired, as they were panting heavily. Although they seemed to be murmuring some words to each other, like "He", "Neji-kun", "notice", "me", "Shika-kun", "not here", "too bad" and such.

Ino has just noticed Sakura was nowhere to be seen. She then called out to Hinata, "Ne, Hinata-chan! Where's Sakura the Forehead Girl?"

Hinata, who was staring at the food she has just arranged, looked up and faced Ino's direction, "Sakura-chan? S-She went t-to find the b-bathroom… she a-asked me for d-direct-tions earlier-r…"

"Oh… OK," Ino then sighed. What's wrong with Hinata's throat anyway? It's like she's branded Stuttering-Since-Birth and hasn't experienced confidence in her entire life. Naruto's not even here.

* * *

"Can we eat now?"

Poor Naruto. His stomach is being melted by his gastric juices, which were digesting nothing but the empty stomach. Neji, Gaara and Naruto were busy cleaning and fixing everything in the Recording Room. You know, you shouldn't leave wires live and equipment plugged to the socket, else see fire burning right before your eyes. Well yeah, it IS their responsibility, since they used the room, and that the great and feared Main Family of the Hyuuga clan owned the equipment they used earlier.

Gaara and Neji were quietly putting things back in place. Quietly… yes, they weren't any loquacious…

Naruto still needs to learn to shut his mouth and stop complaining though.

"OH MY POOR GRUMBLING STARVING SHRIEKING STOMACH! WORRY NO MORE 'CAUSE SAKURA-CHAN WILL BURST IN AND SAY 'TIME TO GO DOWN AND EAT ALL YOU CAN' ANY MINUTE NOW! YOU CAN STILL HOLD ON A BIT LONGER! CALM DOWN FOR THE ULCER DEVIL WON'T GO ANYWHERE NEAR YOU! I PROMISE YOU THAT! IT WON'T, FOR I, UZUMAKI NARUTO, AM HERE TO FEED YOU AFTER A FEW SECONDS OF PAIN AND AGONY!"

Neji was gritting his teeth.

Gaara's expression twitched in annoyance.

Hello! SOS to Haruno Sakura! Where are you?

* * *

"Come on now Ino-pig! If you can't catch the peanut with your mouth, I'll make sure you'll spend the rest of the day washing the dishes by yourself!"

"Shut up Forehead Girl! Can't you see I'm trying here? Jeez, well then, I'll make sure you and your forehead won't be shining and blinding my dazzling blue eyes ever again!"

"Who cares, you picked dare anyway! So if you don't catch at least _one_ peanut, you'll be the Hyuuga Household's personal dishwasher of the night!"

"Why you pinky and your forehead!"

"Say that again, you fat pig!"

"I was saying - WHAT DID YOU CALL ME YOU WIDE-FOREHEADED PINKY!"

"I called you fat pig you – SHUT IT WITH MY FOREHEAD ALREADY! THE WORLD KNOWS YOU'RE FAT AND STOUT!"

"Am NOT!"

"Are TOO!"

"Am NOT!"

"Are TOO!"

"Am NOT!"

"Are TOO!"

"Am NOT!"

"Are TOO!"

"Am NOT!"

"Are TOO!"

"Nuh-huh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Nuh-huh!"

"Uh-huh!"

Tenten, Temari and Hinata were the mediators of the verbal war. (A/N: I won't exaggerate the bickering any longer…)

After 4 minutes and 37 seconds…

"Gah! My throat! God please don't tell me I have a soar throat! This doesn't suit me since we're having a concert tonight!" At last. Sakura has looked down with pity upon her throat and upon her friends' ears as well.

Ino was somewhat panting, "This. Isn't. Fair. I wasn't – _huh_ – able to – _huh_ - catch even ONE – _huh_ – And I'm being affected by the consequences this pinky has set up on my shoulders!"

Sakura grinned, "Oh come on Ino, it was just a joke. I mean, we wouldn't want to mess with Hinata-chan's relatives."

Hinata smiled, "B-Besides, it w-would bother th-them to have a g-g-guest treated as a m-maid."

Temari snorted, "For this night, Sakura-chan wins. Ino's just lucky not to be under the serious wrath of our dear friend."

Tenten sighed in relief, "It's really a miracle how we are able to put up with these people who would seem to bicker endlessly once they start… anyway… I think we should call the guys now… Sakura?"

"OK… just wait a sec… Hmm, Hinata-chan? Could you help me with these…?"

Our blue-eyed blonde, however, was muttering random words under her breath (although the four other girls could make what the words are), "I am NOT FAT… Yamanaka Ino, you shall NOT be affected by what the pinky told you… YOU are NOT FAT… that's clear enough for anyone to tell… You were not and you won't be fat… you've reached this far… someday… Sasuke-kun shall notice you… Sasuke-kun – "

Tenten deliberately coughed nervously, as if signaling Ino to abandon the topic. Hinata, who was slightly trembling, glanced nervously at Sakura. Temari was shutting her eyes and crossing her fingers and muttered stuff like "Why say _his_ name now!" and such. Sakura was acting as if nothing happened.

Ino noticed their sudden reaction, which wasn't at all delayed.

"Uh… umm… sorry. I guess…"

Sakura blinked, "Heh? Oh, don't worry Ino-chan; it's not like it's a taboo word, right? I'm just okay… about it… It's… okay…" Her voice trailed off into the air.

They were all quiet for a moment, as each remembered the fact that Sakura held a heavy grudge (kind of) against a guy by the name of Uchiha Sasuke. He was the reason why Ino and Sakura once became lovesick rivals. He was also the reason why Sakura decided to form a band, so anyone can say she owes him one. NOT that she's going to admit it.

Sakura was the first to snap back to reality when she sighed.

"Really, Ino, you should give up on him already. He'll end up hurting you and in the end you'll regret ever falling for an ice cube like him. Besides, there are better guys out there. You wouldn't know, he may be someone who has been there for you or a childhood friend of yours."

Ino blinked, "Ano… Sakura-chan… actually… I don't know."

Sakura smiled warmly at her friend, "It's okay. You decide… well, I guess I'll call the guys now… I can't wait to see Naruto's expression once he sees all the food here…"

Hinata quickly blushed.

* * *

"NARUTO! GAARA-SAN! NEJI-SAN! COME ON NOW, LET'S EAT!"

Naruto stopped his crap-and-bull speech, which was replaced by another one.

"YAY! THE FOOD! FOOD! FOOD! F-O-O-D! IT'S THERE! THE FOOD! OH, SAKURA-CHAN SAVED ME! WHEEEEEEEEEEEE! I'M COMING SAKURA-CHAN! YEAHEY!"

He dashed off towards the dining room, followed by the other two.

Sakura sweat-dropped when she heard Naruto's shout-for-joy.

Joy my a$$!

* * *

Things were going on smoothly while they were eating. There are a lot of reasons why they enjoyed the night at the Hyuuga household, and some of the reasons are:

1.) "Because of the wide variety of food to choose from!" – according to Naruto

2.) "Because we are like having a clique reunion!" – according to Sakura and Temari

3.) "Because we're talking and chatting about anything that makes us feel relaxed!" – according to Ino

4.) '_Because of the presence of your crush!'_ – according to Hinata and Tenten

5.) "…" – according to Neji and Gaara… In other words: NO COMMENTS.

And you can say that shutting Naruto up with a bonk on the head given by Sakura is reasonable as to why the dinner was enjoying.

About the food, I wouldn't want to tell it all in detail… I might end up drooling over my keyboard… there is, however, a bowl of ramen on the table… which only adds to Naruto's joy more.

It was already 6:43 when they all decided to go to the mall for the concert together.

Together…

**

* * *

**

**A/N: **Honestly, I didn't like this chapter. I was kinda in a rush about this because I started another fic entitled 'Windows of the Soul' which features a **Naruto/Get Backers crossover**. Another reason is I don't know why I haven't placed hints of romance in here… so you gotta wait for a decade… at least I don't expect much reviews for this… oh well… just don't assail me with flames, coz I hate those stuff…

Some reviewers are really concerned about Gaara… so you can nominate someone you think can be his admirer whatsoever. Preferably not an OC.

Review if you feel like it!

No flames!

**Dr. Meowzie**


	5. Under The Full Moon

**DISLAIMER: **((death glare)) Yes? Is there anything you'd like to sue me for? The characters and the songs don't belong to me!

'Imaginary' is owned by Evanescence.

'Me Against The World' is owned by Simple Plan.

**A/N: **Hello again my lovelies! It's reached 30 reviews! It's not that many but it means so much to me! Thank you once again to my reviewers! MWAH! The last chapter wasn't any good, so decided to update and make up for it by writing a NejiSaku moment at the end of this chappy!

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**joann – **thanx for reviewing! And yeah, Tenten has a thing for Neji, so… she's crossed out of the list… oh well…

**krista – **thanks! Here's the next update!

**Bevy-chan – **oh my, someone by the name of Bevy-chan is threatening me… gotta hide… hehe… thanks for supporting me all the way! Aya-chan is SO HAPPY!

**Aprentice of Tanooki and Wolf** – Thanks! I really needed warm encouragement… and no, Anko and Kurenai will be… teachers of their school, so they're automatically crossed out of the list… 

**rie-chan – **Yes, I know the last chapter isn't any good… I wasn't really inspired, that's all… and no, I'm too lazy to delete any chapter… It'll be a miracle if I do that… well, I don't mind if a reviewer is asking me 'musta?' and besides, Pinoys are really like that… warm and friendly… anyway, THANKS!

**El3ments – **I don't think your former pseudonym is weird… You know, I don't have any problems with any pen names… hehe… anyway, thanks for the support!

**waterfox96 – **THANKS FOR REVIEWING! I'm not sure if it'll end up as GaaSaku. I also love that pairing, but I'm just not sure… hope you comprehend… and sorry, there's no yaoi here… I'm not a supporter of it… It's just that… it leads me to the phrase 'hotdog fencing' when added to lemon… sorry… no offense to yaoi fans!

And the other reviewers of the previous chapters!

* * *

**Chapter ****4 **

**Under The Full Moon**

"At last! They're out! They're out! They're OUT! LOOK!"

"YES THEY ARE! I SEE THEM!"

"Get your head outta my sight! I wanna see Haruno-san!"

"OH! Look, look, LOOK! Neji-kun is SO kawaiiiiiii!"

"Whoa dude, the girl looks hot tonight!"

"Come on now! I wanna do some head banging so I wouldn't hear the crowd's noise!"

"I can't see Naruto-kun! Hey, move a little over there! I can't see him!"

"Gaara-kun's hair is so spiked up tonight! AAAHHHH!"

Temari rolled her eyes. The crowd was really noisy. All of them are. The majority of the chattering crowd was expected to be from the girls' squealing and shrieking, but the boys joined in as well, and it was amazing that they can beat the fan-girls' volume.

Ino, Tenten, Hinata and Temari sat at the far end of the concert hall. Ino had her left leg crossed over the right one, with the left foot swinging back and forth, while looking at the band on the stage. Tenten had her head on her hand and was looking dreamily at the band's long-haired male vocalist. Hinata drank from her soda cup. She was occasionally glancing at Uzumaki Naruto, and everytime she looks away, a shade of red is seen on her cheeks. Temari had her arms and legs crossed. She was pissed off at the fan-girl-crowd's unbearable shrieks.

"Ne, Sakura-chan sure has found her life, don't you think so?" Tenten started to converse, "She's become confident nowadays, and seems to forget her problems."

Hinata nodded, "C-Come to think of it, I th-think she has no problems t-to worry about… she-she's r-really…'

"_Confident,_ yeah," Temari piped up, "And someone here needs to be so, too," she eyed Hinata slyly, while Hinata looked away, blushing.

Ino grinned, "Hey, I wouldn't mind hooking Hinata with Naruto up, you know."

Hinata looked at Ino, "W-What?"

* * *

"OK, people! Get ready! This song is dedicated for all of YOU!" Sakura spoke up at the mike. She was wearing a simple black shirt with a silver print that says "ROCK RULEZ!" matched with olive green ¾ pants. She wore a black bandana over her head that was tied behind her neck (**A/N:** Just like how she usually wears her Konoha forehead protector). All the other band members wore black shirts too. (**A/N: **Imagine what the three other guys are wearing in any clothing you like, I'm kinda lazy to describe their clothes now… there, you can use your imagination…)

The crowd roared, as if telling Zenith to "Bring it on!" and some guys were whistling and cat-calling.

"This," Sakura's eyes were shining, "is '_Imaginary_'." (**A/N: **Yeah, I really like this song!)

Then the first song's intro starts.

"I linger in the doorway 

_Of alarm clocks screaming_

_Monsters calling my name_

_Let me stay_

_Where the wind will whisper to me_

Where the raindrops 

_As they're falling tell a story…"_

"_In my field of paper flowers_

_And candy clouds of lullaby_

_I lie inside myself for hours_

_And watch my purple sky fly over me…"_

"_Don't say I'm out of touch_

_With this rampant chaos – your reality_

_I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge_

_The nightmare I built my own world to escape…"_

"_In my field of paper flowers_

_And candy clouds of lullaby_

_I lie inside myself for hours_

_And watch my purple sky fly over me…"_

"_Swallowed up in the sound of my screaming_

_Cannot cease for the fear of silent nights_

_Oh how I long for the deep sleep dreaming_

_The goddess of imaginary light…"_

(**A/N:** Then in this part after the bridge the heavy guitars play again with a few good strums from the electric guitar… I dunno why I'm telling you this… ehem, please excuse me… I'm just in love with guitars… that's all…)

"_In my field of paper flowers_

_And candy clouds of lullaby_

_I lie inside myself for hours_

_And watch my purple sky fly over me…"_

To tell you the truth, Sakura's voice in the song sounded strangely eerie yet angelic and mesmerizing. Just like Sakura herself.

As the song ended, the crowd resumed their somewhat earsplitting and deafening roar.

At the far corner of the hall, Sakura's female friends can't help but feel proud at how much Sakura has changed.

Yes, _changed_.

She was only a simple nerd of a schoolgirl who was once head-over-heels in love with a school heartthrob; now, she is a jamming rock star with a name she's proud to carry around along with her friends, not to mention a resident hottie in the city.

And that was all thanks to her current bandmates.

The female crowd's screams and yells of joy and admiration then filled the whole concert hall when Neji stepped up to the mike and spoke, "Here's a song for those who think their lives suck and would want to say: 'It's _Me Against The World_'."

The girls all bellowed louder, but Neji wasn't looking at them.

Neji hasn't been looking at any of his fan girls.

Even Gaara hasn't been looking at any of his fan girls.

Naruto was grinning at the whole crowd childishly, though.

The song finally started.

"We're not gonna be just a part of their game 

_We're not gonna be just the victims_

_They're taking our dreams and they tear them apart_

'_Til everyone's the same…"_

"_I've got no place to go_

_I've got nowhere to run_

_They love to watch me fall_

_They think they know it all…"_

"_I'm a nightmare, a disaster_

_That's what they always say_

_I'm a lost cause, not a hero_

_But I'll make it on my own_

_I've gotta prove them wrong_

_Me against the world…_

_It's me against the world…"_

"_We won't let them change how we feel in our hearts_

_We're not gonna let them control us_

_We won't let them shove all their thoughts in our heads_

_And we'll never be like them…"_

"_I've got no place to go_

_I've got nowhere to run_

_They love to watch me fall_

_They think they know it all…"_

"_I'm a nightmare, a disaster_

_That's what they always say_

_I'm a lost cause, not a hero_

_But I'll make it on my own_

_I've gotta prove them wrong_

_Me against the world…"_

"_It's me against the world…"_

(**A/N: **I love the bridge because the angst is really expressed. It's one of my favorite SP songs. And the mood it implies is so heavy… I like it… I've also learned the chords of the song, so I sometimes sing along with my guitz when I have nothing else to do… yeah, sorry for the interruption…)

_"Now I'm sick of this waiting So come on and take your shot_

_You can spit all your insults_

_But nothing you say's gonna change us_

_You can sit there and judge me_

_Say what you want to_

_We'll never let you in…"_

"_I'm a nightmare, a disaster_

_That's what they always say_

_I'm a lost cause, not a hero_

_But I'll make it on my own_

_I've gotta prove them wrong…"_

"_I'm a nightmare, a disaster_

_That's what they always say_

_I'm a lost cause, not a hero_

_But I'll make it on my own_

_I've gotta prove them wrong_

_They'll never bring us down_

_We'll never fall in line_

_I'll make it on my own_

_Me against the world."_

The expected shouts and screams once again filled the whole place. Sakura smiled to herself. She was happy that their band is able to carry a whole crowd. Yeah, they were all rockers, but even girls, who weren't much interested in rock music, turned up for their show. Maybe just to see and cheer for the guys they'd like to see and daydream that they were the ones being sung at. Sakura was still glad at the thought, though.

The night went on smoothly, much smoothly than what they had expected. It seems to be a natural thing to them now. They continued to sing their meaningful songs under the shine of the night's full moon.

* * *

The concert has been over thirty minutes ago. The hall was already empty except for a few people who were in charge of the place and the janitors cleaning up. Naruto, Gaara, Neji and Sakura were at a grassy field at a nearby park. Hinata, Ino, Temari and Tenten decided to go home and take a rest, for they'll hang out tomorrow morning, which was a Sunday.

Gaara was sitting on the grass, with his back leaning against an old tree. Neji was sitting Indian-style on the grass a few feet away from Naruto and Sakura, who were lying on their backs beside each other and were watching the perfect spherical shape of the moon.

"Ne, Sakura-chan?" Naruto spoke up, not taking his eyes off the full moon.

Sakura was too tired to give an appropriate response, so her voice was somewhat muffled, "Hm?"

"Do you remember the time we became best friends?"

They were still staring intently on the full moon, but Naruto knew by heart that Sakura smiled.

"Yeah. And it wasn't anything ordinary." She chuckled.

Naruto chuckled as well, "Yep. We were stuck together in finding your lost cat; then you stumbled upon a rock and got yourself a bruise on the left knee; you hit my head real hard; and when nighttime has come, we found your kitten while we were in the middle of the street and a truck was beeping at us to get away. We ran swiftly and stopped at the old cherry blossom tree."

"Yeah," Sakura closed her eyes, "We made the best-friends' pact under the tree, under the coincidentally full moon… with Jennabelle as our witness."

"Your cat was the only witness, but she died five years ago," Naruto smiled at the moon sadly, "You were crying a waterfall back there."

"Don't forget, you were with me. And your jacket was soaking wet because of me."

"That's nothing Sakura-chan. Besides, I _am _your best friend. And it's my shoulder you first cry on whenever you burst into tears."

"And for that, thanks Naruto."

"Thanks too, Sakura-chan."

"Gee, you don't even mind me whacking your head a million times."

"And you don't even mind me acting foolish and crazy a million times."

Then they both laughed.

Gaara, who was closing his eyes and had his head down, looked up at Sakura and Naruto, who were now talking about their childhood memories. They were clearly having their 'Best Friends' Moment' of strengthening their friendship. He watched them and slightly smiled. Yes, he was happy to be with them, because Sakura and Naruto were two of the few people who truly considered him a friend and trusted him. The two didn't mind his loner attitude and accepted him as the person he is. In turn, Gaara trusted them.

Neji was smiling a little at the best friends too. Like Gaara, he somehow became glad that there were two buddies who truly cared for him, although he doesn't show this. And even if he didn't, the two still accepted him as a real friend. Not as a famous school heartthrob, but as Hyuuga Neji.

By the way, Neji also knows that his cousin Hinata has a HUGE crush on Naruto.

So… back to the best friends.

"I don't know, Naruto… but I think the full moon loves us."

"Why?"

"It's always there at the times when something special happens during the night. That involves the two of us… but now… it's the four of us."

Naruto nodded in agreement, "Yep," He sat up and turned to the other two, "Hey, Neji, Gaara! Would you mind joining us here?"

The two silent guys wordlessly approached Sakura and Naruto. Neji sat beside Naruto, while Gaara sat beside Sakura, who was still lying on the grass facing the moon.

"Ne… guys… I think we could make a pact… as a band that can last forever… and the full moon can witness it… you know, just to imprint something memorable in our minds."

She slowly stood up and felt the gentle night wind carry her pink hair, making it sway with the breeze. She then turned to the others. They also stood up.

Naruto held his fist, shoulder-level. He looked at Neji, then Sakura, then at Gaara, "Zenith forever?"

Sakura smiled and held her fist close to Naruto's, "Zenith forever."

Neji soon followed, doing the same thing. He nodded at them.

Gaara held his fist up last and nodded too.

Then they all chorused, "Zenith forever."

* * *

It has been a few minutes since they went home in separate ways when Neji tapped Sakura's shoulder and asked her to let him walk her home.

Now, they're on their way to the Haruno residence.

After a few moments of silence, Sakura spoke up, "Ne… Neji-san?"

"Hn?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For walking me home."

Neji blinked, "I wouldn't like the idea of letting a girl walk alone late at night."

Sakura smiled her now-famous charming smile at him, "That's why, thanks."

There was a faint blush on Neji's cheeks at the sight of her smile. He quickly looked back at the road to hide his blush. Sakura wasn't smiling at a crowd or at her other friends… she was smiling at _him. Only him._

And to anybody's point of view, her smile is like a Chicken Soup For The Soul already. So it's healthy for your… heart? Whatever.

Still, Neji couldn't help but think ever so deeply as to why her smiles mean so much to him. When she laughs, he feels better. When she grins, he smirks. Really, there was _something…_ It must be a disease… an epidemic, perhaps? Or an acute emotional syndrome?

He watched her from the corner of his white eyes. There she is again, smiling peacefully at the road. And there Neji is again, feeling stupid. He continued watching how her rare pink hair swayed with the wind in a steady rhythm; how she smiled that smile that would seem to hypnotize his senses; how her emerald eyes shone brightly against the darkness of the night; how wonderfully enticing her soft pink lips seemed like; how everything about her makes Haruno Sakura special…

Neji knew all too well what had happened to him ever since the day he met this pink-haired rocker.

Somehow, he still wouldn't admit it. Hey, it's not like it's a sin… right?

They stopped in front of the house gates. Sakura faced Neji and did that Smile again, which made his heartbeat stop and his body grow numb. Oh my, _the_ Hyuuga Neji is freezing?

Thankfully, Sakura looked at the ground afterwards, so he was able to gain control of himself again. Wow, looks like Sakura can control the Hyuuga genius with only one smile! Amazing!

Neji snapped back to reality when Sakura spoke softly, "Anou… thank you Neji-san… for walking me home… and… for…"

Neji raised an eyebrow. _And for what?_

"… for helping me… you know, thanks for joining the band and… accepting me… and for the friendship."

_For the friendship._

_For the friendship._

_For the friendship._

Somewhere deep inside his chest, Neji felt a pang of hurt by hearing those three last words. But he wouldn't show it, of course.

He sighed quietly before answering, "No problem."

"Well, I'm going inside now… bye."

With one last smile, she turned and headed towards their front door. Neji was, again, out of his normal self because of… what else… her smile. He watched her as her hair floated in the air and… he watched her… sexy figure.

Wow, Hyuuga Neji's a pervert!

Neji shrugged any dirty thoughts about Sakura out of his head.

_Damn it! I am DISEASED! _Neji grudgingly thought, although he hasn't got a grudge against anybody… except for himself and his hormones which were strangely reacting when he watched Sakura's hourglass figure.

And yes, he was diseased. It isn't a sin, but Neji knew he's under that spell.

Neji cursed one last time before walking towards the Hyuuga Manor, Sakura still in his mind.

Anyone can tell; he was under the spell of love.

Oh yeah!

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** How'd you like it? Was it okay? Well? Tell me! I know Neji's pretty OOC here, but it isn't a good reason for you to skin me alive. Yeah, I know it isn't the best, but… well… I tried! So I need a reward! And the best reward you could give me is…A REVIEW! AND YOU DON'T NEED MONEY FOR IT!

NO FLAMES!

THANX FOR READING!

Oh yeah, and please check out my other fic and tell me what you think!

**Dr. Meowzie**


End file.
